Polishing belt feed mechanism



y 1, 1969 P. F. PALASKI 3,452,488

POLISHING BELT FEED MECHANISM Filed July 27, 1967 Sheet of 2 1N VEN TOR.

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ATTORNEYS July 1,1969 P. F. PALASKI 3,452,48 8

POLISHING BELT FEED MECHANISM Filed July 27, 1967 Sheet 3 of 2 IN V EN TOR.

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,452,488 POLISHING BELT FEED MECHANISM Paul F. Palaski, Massillon, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Joseph S. Palaski, Massillon, Ohio Filed July 27, 1967, Ser. No. 656,426 Int. Cl. B24d 17/00; B241) 21/16 US. Cl. 51262 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention In the manufacturing of products from metal tubing, sometimes the tubing, which may be stainless steel, must be highly polished on the interior and this is done by use of a strip of abrasive material such as emery cloth or the like. The strip of abrasive material is moved in an endless path through the interior of the tube while the tube is rotated, and a pressure member rotatably mounted on the end of a mandrel presses the abrasive material against the interior of the tube, the pressure member being moved lengthwise of the tube during the movement of the abrasive strip and tube.

Description of the prior art The inside polishing of long tubes has been accomplished in this manner for a great many years. The problem has always been to insert the strip of abrasive material into the tube so that an endless polishing belt can be formed by splicing the ends of the same together.

The abrasive material is fabric with an abrasive on one surface, such as emery cloth or the like, and is supplied to rolls or coils. In the past this abrasive strip has been manually creased or bent on longitudinally extending bend lines to substantially U-shape so as to maintain straightness and permit it to be inserted lengthwise through the tube. This has been a long and tedious manual operation usually injurious to the Workmans hands for every tube that was placed on the polishing machine. It is not known that any mechanism has ever been provided to avoid these difficulties prior to the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to feed mechanism through which an abrasive strip may be passed to easily and readily bend it on longitudinally disposed bend lines to substantially U-shape so as to maintain straightness and permit it to be inserted lengthwise through the tube, without extended manual manipulation and possible inury.

In general terms the invention may be briefly described as comprising an elongated base having a guide spool at one end around which an abrasive strip may be pulled from the coil. The strip then passes between a pair of spaced bending rolls and over a bottom support roll, which start to fold the strip longitudinally into substantially channel shape. The strip then passes between a pair of angularly mounted rolls which fully break the abrasive strip at the two bend lines to form a triangular shape after which the folded material passes between another pair of angularly mounted rolls and over a bottom support roll which guide the folded strip out of the folding and feed mechanism.

As a modification, the mechanism may be provided with pairs of inverted frusto-conical rolls instead of the angularly mounted rolls, the first pair of such rolls being :so mounted that their maximum circumferences overlap the longitudinal median line of the strip, so as to form the triangular bend in the strip. In either case the rolls have surfaces angular with respect to one another.

The mechanism may be further modified by providing two base members, one roll of each pair being mounted upon each of said 'base members, means being provided for moving the two base members toward and from each other and holding them in adjusted position in order to accommodate strips of abrasive material of various widths.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide feed mechanism for quickly and readily bending an abrasive strip so that it may be inserted through a metal tubing to provide a polishing belt for polishing the interior thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism comprising spaced pairs of rolls having their opposed surfaces located at different angles for bending the abrasive strip along spaced longitudinally disposed lines, and bottom support rolls for supporting the strip as it passes through the mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a polishing belt feed mechanism of the character referred to having spaced pairs of inverted frusto-conical rolls.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a polishing belt feed mechanism of this type with an adjustable means for moving the rolls of each pair toward or from each other to accommodate abrasive strips of various widths.

The above and other objects, apparent from the drawings and following description, may be attained, the above described difficulties overcome and the advantages and results obtained, by the apparatus, construction, arrangements and combinations, subcombinations and parts which comprise the present invention, the preferred embodiments of which illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principle, being set forth in detail in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having thus briefly described the invention, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 33, FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 44, FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a section on the line 5-5, FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a polishing belt in use polishing the interior of a tube;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail section through the pressure member on the mandrel shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a section on the line 88, FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a modified embodiment of the invention having inverted frusto-conical bending rolls;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a further modification showing an adjustable mechanism for accommodating abrasive strips of various widths;

FIG. 11 is a transverse section on the line 1111, FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a transverse section on the line 1212, FIG. 10; and

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal section on the line 1313, FIG. 10.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the manufacture of products from metal tubing, such as the tubing indicated at 1 in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, it is sometimes necessary that the interior of the tubing, which may be stainless steel, must be highly polished. This is done as shown in these figures by the use of a band 2 of abrasive material such as emery cloth or the like. This band or strip of abrasive material is formed into an endless belt by splicing the ends together as indicated at 3 in FIG. 6. The strip 2 is moved in an endless path around guide rolls 4 while the tube 1 is rotated on its axis by any usual or well known means not shown.

At the same time a pressure member, indicated generally at 5, rotatably mounted upon a longitudinally movable mandrel 6, presses the abrasive material against the interior of the tube as best shown in FIG. 8. The pressure member 5 is moved lengthwise of the tube during the above described movement of the abrasive strip and the tube.

The pressure member 5 is rotatably mounted upon the end of the mandrel 6 in the manner shown in detail in FIG. 7. For this purpose a journal member 7, having a reduced shank 8 with threaded end 9, is screwed into the adjacent end of the mandrel. The hollow screw 10 with flange head 11 is rotatably mounted upon the shank 8 of the journal member 7. A hollow bearing member 12 is journalled upon the journal member 7, and the internal threaded end 13 thereof is threaded upon the screw 10.

The pressure member 5 is formed of the shank member 14 having spaced heads 15 and 16 near opposite ends thereof, each having an annular groove 17 therein. The head 16 has a conical outer surface 18 adapted to fit within the conical interior surface 19 of the clamping member 20 which is rotatably mounted upon the reduced shank 21, the threaded end 22 of which is received within the internally threaded end portion 23 of the bearing member 12.

A tube 24 of rubber or other elastic material is located over the heads 15 and 16. The tube 24 is held upon the heads 15 and 16 by means of any suitable flexible members as indicated at 25 which provide airtight joints by pressing the end portions of the tube 24 into the annular grooves 17.

A leather tube 26 surrounds the rubber tube 24 and one end thereof is clamped between the conical face 18 of the head 17 and the conical surface 19 of the clamping member 20. The tube 24 may be inflated by air under pressure entering through the longitudinal bores 27, 28 and 29 in the mandrel 6, journal member 7 and reduced shank 21, head 16 and shank 14, opening laterally within the tube 24 as indicated at 30 in FIGS. 7 and 8. The above described apparatus is common practice.

The present invention comprises mechanism for bending an abdasive strip upon spaced longitudinally disposed lines so that it may be inserted into a tube as shown at 1 in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 and formed into an endless polishing belt in the manner disclosed in said figures.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive, a base is provided comprising two spaced base members 31 connected in spaced relation as will be later described. An arm 32 is connected to one end of the base and extends upwardly preferably outwardly at a slight angle as shown in FIG. 1.

A guide spool 33 is journalled upon the arm 32, as indicated at 34 to guide the abrasive strip 2 from the coil 35 which may be supported above the mechanism in any suitable manner.

Out-turned flanges 36 are formed upon the base members 31 at the end adjacent the guide spool 33. The spaced pair of bending and guide rolls 37 are journalled upon the flanges 36 as indicated at 38. A bottom support roll 39 is journalled between the base members 31, beneath the rolls 37, as indicated at 40.

Beyond the horizontal flanges 36, a pair of upwardly and outwardly angled flanges 41 are formed upon the base members 31. A pair of bending and guide rolls 42, each of which is of greater height than the rolls 37, are journalled upon the flanges 41 as indicated at 43. Another pair of upwardly and outwardly angled flanges 44 are formed upon the base members 31, beyond the flanges 41, and a pair of rolls 45 are journalled thereon as indicated at 46. A bottom support roll 47 is journalled between the base members 31 at the opposite end thereof from the guide spool 33 as indicated at 48.

As the abrasive strip 2 is withdrawn from the coil 35 and passed around the feed spool 33 and between the bending and guide rolls 37 and over the bottom support roll 39 it is bent along two spaced longitudinally disposed bend lines, as indicated at 49 in FIG. 3, assuming a generally channel cross-sectional shape, as indicated at C in said figure.

As the strip is then passed between the angular rolls 42 it is bent into substantially triangular cross-sectional shape, as indicated at T in FIG. 4.

The strip then passes between the angular rolls 45, assuming the partially closed channel cross-sectional shape as indicated at C in FIG. 5 and it is then in condition to be inserted into a metal tube to be polished, such as indicated at 1 in FIG. 6.

Now referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 9, the base may be formed of two similar elongated blocks 31a each of which may be of substantially square cross-sectional shape. Upwardly disposed arrns 32a may be formed upon or attached to the front or left-hand ends of the base members 31a as indicated in FIG. 9 and a guide spool 33a may be journalled thereon as indicated at 34a.

A pair of cylindrical rolls 37a are journalled upon the base members 31a adjacent to the guide spool as indicated at 38a. The bottom support roll 39a is journalled between the base members 31a at a point adjacent the guide and bending rolls 37a.

Beyond the rolls 37a are located a pair of inverted frusto-conical rolls 42a one of which is located slightly forwardly of the other so that the upper larger ends thereof may overlap the central median line of the mechanism and of an abrasive strip being passed therethrough in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each of the frustoconical rolls 42a is journalled upon a vertical journal 43a.

Toward the other end of the base members 31a is located a second pair of frusto-conical rolls 45a journalled upon upright journals 46a These rolls are located further apart than the rolls 42a. At this end of the base members is located another bottom support roll 47a.

The operation of this embodiment of the invention is similar to that of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive and an abrasive strip may be bent in the same manner as it is guided through the rolls.

In FIGS. 10 to 13 inclusive is shown a slightly different embodiment of the invention in which the rolls of each pair are adjustable toward and from each other so as to accommodate abrasive strips of various widths. For this purpose a base plate 50 is provided having transverse dove-tail grooves 51 in its upper surface.

A pair of upright arms 32b are formed at the left-hand end of the base plate 50 as shown in FIG. 10 between which is journalled a guide spool 33b as indicated at 34b.

A pair of elongated base blocks 31b a-re transversely adjustably mounted upon the base plate 50, each base block having depending dove-tail ribs 52 on its underside slidably engaged in the dove-tail grooves 51 in the top of the base plate.

An upright post 53 is formed upon or attached to the median central portion of the base plate 50 and has a bore 54 therethroug. A left and right-hand screw 55 has an unthreaded central portion journalled within the bore '54. This unthreaded portion may have an annular groove 56 which receives the end of a stud 57 to prevent longitudinal movement of the screw through the post. The oppositely threaded portions of the screw 55 are threaded into tapped bores 58 in the bearing members 31b. Thus by rotation of the screw 55 in the proper direction the base blocks 31!) may be moved toward each other or away from each other as desired.

A pair of cylindrical guide and bending rolls 37b are journalled upon upright journals 38b on the adjustable base members 31b. A pair of frusto-conicals rolls 42b are located beyond the rolls 37b, being journalled upon the upright journals 43b on the base blocks 31b.

As shown in FIGS. and 11, the rolls 4212 are so located that their larger upper ends may overlap the longitudinal median line of the mechanism and of the abrasive strip being passed therethrough. The lfI'llSlZO-COIllCfll rolls 45b are journalled with journals 4612 located on the base blocks 31b.

The bottom support rolls 39b and 47b are located between the base members 31b near the left and right-hand ends thereof respectively, as viewed in FIG; 10. In order to keep these bottom support rolls properly centered as the base members 31b are adjusted toward and away from each other, each of the rolls 39b and 47b may have reduced shank portions 59 slidably received in transversely disposed bores 60 of the base members 31b. Coil springs 61 are interposed between the ends of each of the rolls 39b and 47b and the adjacent base members 31b.

With this last described construction the rolls may be adjusted to accommodate the desired width of abrasive strip by rotating the left and right-hand screw 55 in the proper direction. Abrasive strip may then be passed through the mechanism in the manner above described, the rolls bending the abrasive strip as above described so that it may be inserted into a tube to be polished.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such 'Words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, the operation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful construction, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Polishing belt feed mechanism for bending a strip of abrasive material, said mechanism comprising base means, a feed spool journalled transversely of the base means at one end thereof, a pair of transversely spaced substantially cylindrical [feed and bending rolls journ alled upon the base means beyond the feed spool, a bottom support roll journalled upon the base means below said pair of rolls, a second pair of transversely spaced feed and bending rolls journalled upon the base means beyond said first named pair, the opposed faces of said second pair of rolls being upwardly converging, a third pair of transversely spaced feed rolls journalled upon the base means beyond said second pair, and a second bottom support roll journalled upon the base means at the opposite end thereof from said feed spool.

2. Polishing belt feed mechanism as defined in claim 1 in which the opposed faces of said third pair of lfeed rolls are upwardly converging.

3. Polishing belt feed mechanism as defined in claim 1 in which the first named pair of rolls are adapted to bend the strip of abrasive material into channel shape and the second pair of rolls are adapted to bend the strip into triangular tubular shape.

4. Polishing belt feed mechanism as defined in claim 1 in which the base means includes two similar elongated base members, one roll of each pair being mounted on each base member, and the bottom support rolls being located between the base members.

5. Polishing belt feed mechanism as defined in claim 1 in which the rolls of said second and third pairs are of inverted frusto-conical shape. I

6. Polishing belt feed mechanism as defined in claim 5 in which the enlarged upper ends of said second pair of rolls overlap the longitudinal median line of the strip of abrasive material.

7. Polishing belt feed mechanism as defined in claim 4 in which the elongated base members are transversely slidably mounted upon a base plate and means is provided for moving said elongated base members toward and from each other.

8. Polishing belt feed mechanism as defined in claim 7 in which a bearing member is provided on the base plate between said elongated base members and a leftand righthand screw has an unthreaded central portion journalled in said bearing member and oppositely threaded end portions threaded into said elongated base members.

9. Polishing belt feed mechanism as defined in claim 7 in which each bottom support roll has opposite end portions slidably received in transverse bores in the elongated base members, and spring means for keeping the bottom support rolls properly centered as the elongated base members are adjusted toward and from each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,809,954 6/1931 Wood 270-940 X FOREIGN PATENTS 366,814 1/1939 Italy. 694,742 8/ 1940 Germany.

JAMES L. JONES, 111., Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 51-135, 358 

